Cooking of foods in woks has become increasingly popular because of the advantages and versatility of the bowl shaped pan. The rounded bottom of the wok reduces the amount of cooking oil that is needed as the area to be covered with oil is smaller. The high sloping sides of the container inhibit spattering. The smooth continuous curvature of the wok facilitates stirring and tossing of food materials during cooking such as during stir-frying. The rounded geometry also makes a wok highly suitable for cooking different sized batches of food on different occasions.
The curving bottom makes the wok unstable if it is rested on a flat surface such as is typically present over the burners or heating elements of a conventional stove or cooking range. This problem has traditionally been resolved by placing a ring shaped support over the burner or other heating element. The rounded bottom of the wok can then be seated in the ring.
The ring support may also be used when cooking on small portable stoves of the type that are used outdoors, on camping trips or at picnics or the like but is not ideally suited for this purpose. Many stoves of this type do not have a sizable flat area surrounding the burner and thus inadvertent lateral displacement of the support ring can cause a toppling of the wok and its contents. Optimum cooking operations may also require an even distribution of heat around the circumference of the wok that is not provided by the configuration of many small portable cooking stoves. The support ring can also be overlooked when preparing for an outdoor cooking operation or be left behind when returning from such an activity. If a wok cooking operation is to be followed by cooking of something in a different container, one is faced with the problem of grasping, removing and storing the ring while it is still in a hot condition.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the present invention provides a portable cooker adapted for heating foods in a wok of the type having a rounded bottom. Components of the cooker include a base, a post which extends up from the base and a burner housing secured to the upper end of the post. The housing has an upwardly directed sidewall which extends around a combustion chamber and an open centered circular lip at the top of the chamber that is proportioned to receive and seat the rounded bottom of the wok. Additional components include a fluid fuel burning heating element disposed in the combustion chamber below the circular lip and means for supplying fluid fuel to the heating element.
In another aspect, the invention provides a knockdown portable cooker for heating foods that are contained in a wok and for supporting and retaining a cylindrical tank of the type which contains pressurized fluid fuel. A base platform has a convex upper surface with a flat floored indentation at an off center location that is shaped to receive and seat the fuel tank. A tubular post extends up from a center location on the base platform and means are present for selectively engaging and disengaging the base platform and the post. A slidable sleeve encircles the post and has means for gripping the fuel tank. An annular housing is attached to the upper end of the post in a centered relationship with the post and has a floor and an annular sidewall that extends upwardly to form the outer rim of the housing. Another portion of the housing is a sleeve with a lower end joined to the sidewall and a circular upper edge that is coaxial with the outer rim and of smaller diameter, the sleeve portion having openings spaced apart around its circumference. The upper edge of the sleeve portion is proportioned to receive an seat the rounded bottom of the wok. The housing and the post may be selectively engaged and disengaged from each other. A fluid fuel burning heating element is disposed in the housing below the circular upper edge of the sleeve portion and means are present for selectively delivering fuel from the tank to the heating element.
A portable cooker embodying the invention provides a seat for the rounded bottom of a wok without requiring a separate accessory for the purpose. The wok seat is not subject to lateral displacement and thus provides a highly stable support for the wok. In the preferred form, the configuration of the cooker provides an even distribution of heat around the circumference of the wok including under windy conditions. The preferred embodiment also supports and securely retains a pressurized fluid fuel tank of the standardized form with a minimum of structural complication for the purpose. The cooker may be light and compact and, in the preferred form, may be easily disassembled into component parts to facilitate transportation and storage.
The invention, together with further aspects and advantages thereof, may be further understood by reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment and by reference to the accompanying drawings.